French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has accused X owner Elon Musk of using the platform to organize “massive online harassment campaigns” against European leaders. The remarks were made on October 13, 2026, at a conference of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. Barrot linked the accusation...
Closing the “Russian House” did not dismantle Russia’s influence system in Germany
Russia uses the network of “Russian Houses,” which operate under the state agency Rossotrudnichestvo, not only to promote the language and culture but also to work with compatriots, shape a loyal information environment, and preserve political and social influence in the countries where it is present. Rossotrudnichestvo itself has been...
Thousands of fake X accounts uncovered ahead of Sweden’s elections
Ahead of Sweden’s parliamentary and local elections, which took place on 13 September 2026, researchers identified a large network of inauthentic accounts on the social network X. The finding was reported by the analytics firm Trollrensics and the organization Alliance4Europe in a joint investigation with Swedish public broadcaster SVT. According...
Russia is stepping up hybrid influence over the EU election cycle
The autumn 2026 election cycle gives Russia an opportunity to influence political processes in several EU countries at once — Germany, Sweden, Latvia and Bulgaria. The Kremlin has long used information-psychological operations to affect elections. Its core goal remains unchanged: to shape a favorable information environment for loyal politicians and...
Italian foreign minister warns of possible Russian attempts to influence elections in Italy and across Europe
Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said he does not rule out attempts by Russia to interfere in democratic processes in European Union countries, including efforts to influence elections in Italy. He made the remarks on September 2 in Ireland as he arrived for an informal meeting...